Surgical splint



Dec. 19, 1933. v Q JONES 1,939,779

r A SURGICAL SPLINT Filed Aug. 19 1952 INVENTOR,

BY Asa-07% 3 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates generally to the class of splints for use in the treatment of fractures, and particularly to that type of splint in which both the broken and sound limbs are immobilized and so connected as to permit the broken limb to be placed under tension, using the sound limb for counter-compression, that is to Say, applying traction to the broken limb and counter-traction to the sound limb. 1

19 Splints of this type comprise a pair of anchor bars rigidly attached one to each limb, and some form of adjusting device connecting them, which immovably unites the limbs, and by its operation applies reciprocal axial tension and compression 1; to said limbs, respectively, thus using the sound limb in counter-traction to the traction on the broken limb.

Whatever may be the particular form of the adjustable inter-anchor connecting device it 21) must, in order to elfectively perform its function, be an assembly or system of arms, levers or ties connected with the anchor members, and means for adjusting and fixing them.

In practice, such an adjusting structure or de- 85 vice is necessarily somewhat elaborate and consequently expensive; and, since the actual period of possible necessity for adjustment and changes thereof is very much shorter than the required period during which the splint must remain in a satisfactory fixed adjusted position, I have 'conceived that it will be of advantage to substitute for such elaborate and expensive adjustable structure or device at the end ofits adjusting necessity, a simpler connection which will function to positively lock the splint during the entire remaining period of its use. The economic advantage of this is of considerable importance to hospitals, especially those of such size that they require a large number of splints in order I 40 to meet all possible emergencies. The cost of such number may easily be excessive. But by purchasing and keeping on hand a predetermined fewer number of completely operative splints, together with the associated relatively cheap substitutivelocks, in number sufficient to meet the maximum possible requirements, a considerable saving will be efiected, since, as the patients are at different periods of treatment, only the lesser number, namely, those suffering from fractures of late occurrence, will need the original complete splints, while those whose treatment is well advanced may have the expensive adjusting devices removed from the anchors and the simpler locks substituted, whereupon the removed devices may be used again in relatively fewer splints required by the newer fractures, while the substitute locks are continued to the end of the treatment.

From the foregoing, the nature and object of my invention will be seen, especially as I will further accentuate it, by fllustrating and describ- 0 ing it in connection with the splint of my previous Patent No. 1,829,902, November 3rd, 1931, upon which the present invention may, in effect, be considered an improvement, though it is to be understood that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims hereunto appended:

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly broken, of my splint, showing the removable, adjustable anchor-connecting device for initially securing traction and counter-traction, and also showing the substitutive locking members as placed immediately prior to the removal of said adjustable connecting device.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of one'end of the steel band 5.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the splint as it appears in Fig. 1 applied to the limbs of the patient.

1 and 2am the anchor bars for fixing the splint to the limbs. In their present improved form, they have crosswise arcuate ends 3, from the middle of the front face of each of which projects a lug 4. To said arcuate ends are removably fitted a steel band 5, the connection being made by key-hole slots 6 and studs 7 at one extremity, Figs. 1 and 3, and by threads 8 and nuts 9 at the other extremity, Fig. 2.

The adjustable connecting device between the two anchor bars, by which, in the use oi. the splint, immobilization of the two limbs is secured, enabling the sound limb to serve as counter resistance to the traction on the broken limb, is, in the main, similaf to that shown in the patent hereinabove referred to, and comprises a hollow carrier 10, to which on one side is firmly fixed the yoke 11, and on the other sideis slidably fitted the yoke 12 by means of a slide 13 in the carrier, a nut 14 of said slide and a screw 15 engaging the nut. The extremities of these yokes are attached to their respective anchor lugs 4 by any suitable connections of a nature to admit of their ready removal so that the entire adjustable connecting device may easily be removed from the two anchors upon proper occasion as will be hereinafter pointed out. The attachment of the yoke ends to the lugs 4 is here shown, for example, by means of thumb screws 16, the upper ones being direct and the lower ones through the intervention of a link member 17 permitting 110 to the lower end of the other anchor.

certain spreading adjustments. All these features as applied to the present invention are more or less exemplary, the essential idea. being the fact of ready removal of the said connecting device from two anchors. The substitutive looking members comprise apair of bars adapted to rigidly connect the two anchors. These are preferably rods 18, having a turn-buckle longitudinal adjustment 19; and their arrangement, in the best form, is the diagonal crossing-here shown, that is from'the upper end of one anchor tachment of these rods is to the capacious anchor lugs 4, and is a detachable one as indicated by the thumb screws 20.

The lugs 4 of the anchors, it will be seen, are of a dimension sufficient to carry the attachments of both the adjustable connecting device and the substitutive lock bars, thus enabling both to be temporarily in place at the same time as shown and for a reason presently to be stated.

Turning now to Fig. 4, the application of the splint will be seen. 21 is the broken limb and 22 the sound limb of the patient. The fracture of the femur is indicated at the cast 23. The splint is shown in this Fig. 4, as it will appear at that period in the treatment when the looking members 18 have just been put, in place prior to the removal of the adjustable connecting device. This period is when the necessity for adjustment is deemed past and all that is needed thereafter is to permanently lock the splint without regard to adjustment. When the splint is first applied, and the two anchors are secured to the limbs, one to the sound leg and the other to the broken leg, the immobilization and the traction and countertraction are due to and effected by the adjustable connecting device comprising the yokes 11 and 12 and the adjusting screw 15, the substitutive locking members 18 being then not used. After a time, say in two or three weeks, when adjustment is no longer essential to' the treatment, the locking members 18 are produced and fitted to place, while the adjustable connecting device is still in position, so that the splint is held firmly during .the substitution. After the look by means of the rods 18 is effective, the entire adjustable connecting device is removed from the anchor lugs 4, and, the treatment is continued with only the locking rodsiirmly holding the splint with the limbs under the proper tension and compression previously established. It will now readily be appreciated that the relatively elaborate and expensive adjustable connecting device may be more frequently used in other initial treatments of shorter duration, while the less costly look bars are used in the period of longer duration, so that the hospital need provide itself with a relatively small number of complete splints for initial treatments and a greater number of lock bars for the subsequent treatments.

The ataesema A further improvement in the present splint lies in the means for attaching the anchors to the limbs. Ordinarily, the limb is first wrapped with material to avoid chafing. Then the anchor bar is laid upon this wrapping and both the bar and the wrapping are inclosed in a cast. In the present improvement, the cast is done away with. The anchor bar being provided above and below with the arcuate member 3 conforming in part to the curvature of the limb, the supplementary steel band 5 will eifectively tighten said member and firmly hold the anchor, without the usual cast. Thus a simpler and equally effective attachment is provided which is also easier to apply, to change or to remove.

sound limb; means detachably connected with said bars for adjusting their relative positions to apply reciprocal axial tension and compression to said limbs respectively and to hold them in adjusted position; and substitutive means for holding said anchor bars in said position upon the removal of said first named means, said substitutive means comprising locking members extending between and detachably connected with each of said anchor bars.

2. A surgical splint for treating fractures comprising a pair of anchor bars; means for aflixing said bars one to the broken and the other to the sound limb; means detachably connected with said bars for adjusting their relative positions to apply reciprocal axial tension and compression to said limbs respectively and to hold them in adjusted position; and substitutive means de-' tachably connected with said bars for holding them in said position upon the removal of said first named means, said substitutive means comprising locking members extending diagonally between said anchor bars from the upper end of one to the lower end of the other.

3. A surgical splint for treating fractures comprising a pair of anchor bars; means for aflixing said bars one to the broken and the other to the sound limb, each of said bars having projecting from its inner face above andbelow 9. lug having dimensional capacity for two simultaneous connections; a device detachably connected with the said lugs for adjusting the relative positions of the anchor bars, to apply reciprocal axial tension and compression to said limbs respectively) and to hold them in adjusted position; and,sub-. stitutive locking bars extending between and detachably connected with the lugs 01' the anchor' bars for holding the latter in said adjusted position upon the removal of the said adjusting device.

CARL P. JONES. 

